The present disclosure relates to the field of capturing photographic and video images, and specifically to the use of cameras that capture photographic and video images. Still more specifically, the present disclosure relates to the field of removing flying camera drones from a field of view of a primary camera.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), commonly referred to as drones or “camera drones” or “aerial camera drones”, are increasingly being used for photographic purposes. A drone offers a unique photographic perspective by utilizing altitude and angle that are not possible from a photograph/video taken with a traditional camera on the ground. Frequently, a photographer/videographer may choose to employ both a traditional land-based camera with one or more drones to capture multiple perspectives of a given view.
The use of one or more drones and regular cameras taking photographs during a photo shoot presents opportunities for one of the drones to create obstacles in the photograph, either from the land-based cameras or from cameras of other drones.
For example, consider a movie that is being shot with a combination of terrestrial cameras (either fixed on a tripod or movable along a track) and aerial camera drones. One of the terrestrial cameras may be designated as the primary camera for capturing the main shot, while the aerial camera drones may be filming ancillary shots, often known as “B-roll”, for the scene. The presence of a drone in the main shot ruins the authenticity of the main shot, particularly if the movie is a period piece (e.g., a “Western” from the 1800's).